The Tail of PSR J0002+6216 and the Supernova Remnant CTB 1

Abstract

We have carried out Very Large Array imaging and a Fermi timing analysis of the 115 ms γ-ray and radio pulsar PSR J0002+6216. We found that the pulsar lies at the apex of a narrowly collimated cometary-like 7‧ tail of nonthermal radio emission, which we identify as a bow-shock pulsar wind nebula. The tail of the nebula points back toward the geometric center of the supernova remnant CTB 1 (G116.9+0.2) 28‧ away, at a position angle θ _μ = 113°. We measure a proper motion with 2.9σ significance from a Fermi timing analysis giving μ = 115 ± 33 mas yr^-1 and θ _μ = 121° ± 13°, corresponding to a large transverse pulsar velocity of 1100 km s^-1 at a distance of 2 kpc. This proper motion is of the right magnitude and direction to support the claim that PSR J0002+6216 was born from the same supernova that produced CTB 1. We explore the implications for pulsar birth periods, asymmetric supernova explosions, and mechanisms for pulsar natal kick velocities.